University Policy on: Academic progress (other than in courses administered by the Graduate Research School)

Purpose of the policy and summary of issues it addresses:

This policy deals with the definition of satisfactory progress, fulfilling the requirements of a unit, successive failure in the same unit, assignment of progress status, appeals against progress status, provision for recognition of mitigating circumstances in relation to academic performance and applications to re-enrol following exclusion.

Definitions:

the University means the University of Western Australia

National Code is the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007

student visa holder is a student who is not an Australian citizen nor a permanent resident of Australia nor a New Zealand citizen and who has a student visa

relevant faculty or board means the faculty or faculties or board responsible for administering the course in which the student is enrolled and includes a position or committee to which the faculty or board has delegated authority for the function concerned

student adviser means the Associate Dean, sub-Dean, Student Adviser or other position with responsibility for the function concerned

Policy statement:

1 General principles

1.1 An equitable and transparent system for determining satisfactory academic progress in a course and assigning progress status is necessary to:

(a) permit an individual student to determine whether his or her academic progress is satisfactory;

(b) permit a staff member to determine whether a student's academic progress is satisfactory;

(c) inform a student or a staff member of the outcome of making satisfactory or unsatisfactory academic progress;

(d) enable students who have made unsatisfactory progress in a course but are reasonably likely to make satisfactory progress in the course in future to re-enrol; and

(e) prevent students who have made unsatisfactory progress in a course and are reasonably unlikely to make satisfactory progress in the course in future from re-enrolling in the course until and unless relevant circumstances change.

1.2 Students have a right to request a review of their progress status if they believe it has not been fairly assigned in accordance with the rules for the course or if there are mitigating circumstances relating to their poor academic progress which have been or will be addressed.

2 Satisfactory progress

2.1 Unless the Academic Board approves otherwise in the case of an individual course and subject to 2.2 and 4.1 satisfactory progress in a course in a calendar year is defined as:

(a) achieving a pass in units with a total credit point value of at least half the total credit point value of units in which the student remains enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty; and

(b) satisfying any additional requirements stated in the rules for the student's course.

2.2 Satisfactory progress in any supervised research thesis component of a course is normally determined having regard to the report of the student's supervisor.

3 Fulfilling the requirements of a unit

3.1 A student fulfils the requirements of a unit by:

(a) complying with any requirements for student attendance at specified classes, lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals, clinical practice and sitting examinations as set out in the unit outline and assessment mechanism statement for the unit; and

(b) completing at a standard acceptable to the relevant faculty or board, assignments and other specified work of the unit as set out in the unit outline and assessment mechanism statement for the unit; and

(c) obtaining a grade of pass or higher for the unit.

3.2 A student who does not satisfy the requirements in 3.1(a) and (b) may be prohibited by the relevant faculty or board from undertaking further study or examinations in the unit concerned.

4 Successive failures in the same unit

4.1 Students who fail a unit twice are not permitted to enrol again in that unit unless the relevant faculty or board approves otherwise in recognition of significant mitigating circumstances.

5 Identifying students who are at risk of not making satisfactory progress

5.1 At the end of each semester or trimester student visa holders who have failed units to a credit point value of half or more of the total credit point value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty are identified as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress.

5.2 At the end of each semester or trimester all students other than student visa holders, who have failed units to a credit point value of more than half the total credit point value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty, are identified as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress.

5.3 An academic or other staff member may identify a student as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress.

5.4 A student may be identified by an academic staff member as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress, for example on the basis that coursework has not been submitted or is not of an acceptable standard.

5.5 A staff member who identifies a student as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress must contact the student adviser who contacts the student to discuss the options available to the student.

5.6 Students may identify themselves as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress by contacting their student adviser and explaining the difficulties they are having with their course.

5.7 Students who have been allocated a progress status of "On Probation" are considered to be at risk of not making satisfactory progress.

5.8 All student visa holders identified as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress following the process outlined in 5.1 are asked in writing to meet with their student adviser to discuss the options available to them.

5.9 All students who are identified as being at risk of not making satisfactory progress following the process outlined in 5.2 are provided with a written warning concerning this risk and advising them to meet with their student adviser to discuss the options available to them.

6 Intervention strategies

6.1 In accordance with the National Code, an intervention strategy is put in place for student visa holders who are identified as being at risk of not meeting satisfactory progress requirements for their course.

6.2 Early application of an intervention strategy is strongly recommended for all students identified as being at risk of not meeting satisfactory progress requirements for their course.

6.3 Assistance is available to students through course advisers, program co-ordinators and sub-Deans, Associate Deans or Student Advisers.

6.4 Programs and services aimed at helping students improve their academic skills are offered through Student Services.

6.5 Academic support is made available to undergraduate students in their first academic year by way of study groups organised through Student Services.

6.6 A reduction in study load may be recommended or required by the relevant faculty or board if:

(a) it is permitted by the rules for the student's course; and

(b) in the case of a student visa holder, it does not breach any requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act.

7 Progress status

7.1 A progress status is assigned by the relevant faculty or board to each student following the final examination period for the year.

7.1.1 A student who makes satisfactory progress is assigned the progress status of Good Standing.

7.1.2 A student who does not make satisfactory progress may be assigned one of the following:

On Probation - must see Student Adviser before re-enrolling in the course and conditions may apply to re-enrolment

Suspended - not permitted to re-enrol in the course for a period of 12 months

Excluded - not permitted to re-enrol in the course.

7.2 The rules for a course must specify the progress status that is assigned to students who do not make satisfactory progress and the circumstances under which each status is assigned.

7.3 Unless the Academic Board permits otherwise in the case of a particular course, a status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' is not normally assigned to a student in any course who has completed only one semester or trimester of study at the University.

8 Mitigating circumstances

8.1 The University recognises that mitigating circumstances can lead to capable students making unsatisfactory progress.

8.2 A student who believes that illness or other significant circumstances have had or will have an adverse effect on their academic performance in, or preparation of, work for assessment may apply to the relevant faculty or board for special consideration in accordance with the University Policy on Special Consideration.

8.3 Students who have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' may, in accordance with the University Policy on Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Relating to Students, provide details of mitigating circumstances relating to their academic performance and of any measures that have been or are being taken to address these so that there is a reasonable likelihood that the student would make satisfactory progress if permitted to re-enrol.

9 Application to re-enrol following exclusion

9.1 Students who:

(a) have been assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'; and

(b) have not had their progress status changed as a result of a review and/or appeal of academic decisions relating to students, or a request for special consideration; and

(c) believe that their case has changed since they were assigned a progress status of 'Excluded', may, after a period of at least 12 months has elapsed since the assignment of the 'Excluded' status, apply to re-enrol in the course.

Related forms: (Link)

TRIM File No:

F34877

Contact position:

Academic Secretary

1. Interventions

1.1 Assistance

1.1.1 Help and assistance is provided to students through Course Advisers, Program Coordinators, and Student Advisers.

1.1.2 A reduction in study load can be approved by the Student Adviser if course rules permit and it is relevant to the student's situation, and, in the case of a student visa holder, that the Education Services for Overseas Students Act requirements are met.

1.1.3 If a reduction in study load is permitted or required by the relevant faculty or board, the Student Adviser records the details of this load in the student's file.

1.2 Study Smarter

1.2.1 Student Services' Study Smarter team offer a range of programs and services aimed at helping students improve their academic skills.

1.3 UniSkills

1.3.1 Undergraduate students in their first academic year can join UniSkills, which offers academic support through Study Share study groups, where small groups of students study together with a more senior student in a supportive and informal group. Information is available from the UniSkills and from the coordinator, Dr Judy Skene (phone 6488 2424).